The purpose in sending out this collection of toys is to promote among
children a love for educational occupation. This book is intended to
be of real service to parents and teachers who are intrusted with the
arduous responsibility of child-training. It is with this object in
view that the directions, drawings and photographs have been prepared.
The experience of almost twenty years as a teacher has convinced
the author that only when the child approaches subject-matter with
interest and enthusiasm can the best results be obtained. Giving a
child an opportunity to make things, arouses his interest; therefore,
learning by doing is a most effective method in gaining educational
ends.
Toy-making incorporates this method, with several vital elements
added. It takes into account the child's view-point, his proclivities
and his emotions. It is a form of activity that appeals strongly
to his fancy, has a direct relation to his environments, and is
within the range of his mental grasp and constructive ability. His
wonderful imagination endows the creatures of his handiwork with life,
individuality and cunning. The toy problem is in harmony with the
child's resourcefulness, his powers and his interests.
The problems contained in this book have been selected from those
worked out in the Normal Model School. They have been tested under
ordinary class-room conditions. To survive the weeding-out process, a
toy has had to meet the following requirements: